Most of us wear socks every day. Why not make them funny, colorful, and meaningful? Thanks to Natural Vibes, you can. Since its launch, the startup has produced 30,000 pairs and has already sold 10,000. We met with Guillermo Ortega, the company’s founder.
(Featured Image: Guillermo Ortega, founder of Natural Vibes / Image Credit © Silicon Luxembourg / Anna Katina)
From finance to socks
Five years ago, Guillermo Ortega, a Spanish native, began his professional career in Luxembourg as a member of the finance industry. “I always had an interest in fashion, as my partner comes from a family working in Turkish textile for three generations,” said the startupper.
On the side, this young Spanish founder started to sell plain socks manufactured by his family in-laws on Amazon. “We quickly became top sellers in Germany since we were offering quality products. Turkey is known for good quality and lower prices compared to China,” explained Ortega.
After two years, Guillermo decided to quit his job and focus on the development of his own brand. “Over the past years, I realized the negative impact of fast fashion. Sustainable fashion was key in my eyes, so I changed my portfolios to organic. Then I had to find organic producers in Turkey,” said Ortega. After a few weeks in Turkey search for partners, Natural Vibes emerged.
“Usually, apparel stating “organic” excludes production.”
Since last September, the online shop offers organic, “funky” socks. “I wanted to have an impact on society, and socks are a way to do so. And socks make me happy!” explained Guillermo.
The young startupper is consistently trying to optimize processes. “I realized that going green is the way to go for our future. Some people do their part by buying organic food—others, clothes! You can’t ask people to go 100% organic. Starting somewhere is good enough,” declared the founder.
Funky socks
Natural Vibes’ online shop proposes different collections of socks. Animals, fruits, Japanese inspirations—Guillermo does all the designs. “I get inspiration from what I like. We are also working with some artists. Our next special edition was made in collaboration with Lisa Junius, a Luxembourgish artist.” Now only available in organic cotton, the next collections will be manufactured using bamboo, with simpler designs.
GOTS Certification
The Natural Vibes’ socks have the GOTS Certification. GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard, an internationally recognized organization granting certification for companies respecting organic standards in the whole supply chain.
“Usually, apparel stating “organic” excludes production. The GOTS certification is granted to suppliers that respect strict standards at every step of the supply chain, from the farmers to the factory,” explained Ortega.
On top of the GOTS certification, the young startup is looking for bigger impact. “When we reach a certain number of socks produced, we plant trees or donate money to various ecological projects,” concluded Guillermo.
